Shield for Murder

Yeah, generic and of its time and so relatively predictable... BUT it's very well done and acted esp by the villian and that's what makes it a bit above pedestrian and keeps you watching. Likeable even with its faults taken into account... the girlfriend is in no way "tarty" IMO.

The further i dive into any era of film making the more I crave stuff like this. The raw and stripped down versions of its contemporaries (see blast of silence also). Very violent all cynicism. The false hopes of love. Shame about the pro police stuff but that’s the times and the genre for the part

Solid, violent and lean noir movie. Has a chance to reach higher levels but settles on the stupid this is just one bad cop and the rest just want to do the right thing narrative.

O'Brien co-directs this nasty B noir adapted from a novel by William P. McGivern. O'Brien is sweaty, callous corruption incarnate, beating Akins to within an inch of his life in family restaurant (and in front of Carolyn Jones who nearly steals the whole film as a boozy woman of questionable taste and morals) and later engaging in gun among a crowd of civilians in a public pool.

I thought O'Brien gave a really good and sweaty performance. There's also some neat background business, like the panicked gentleman in the restaurant who keeps chewing his spaghetti as the fight breaks out.

I respected this 50's predecessor of "Bad Lieutenant" more than actually enjoyed it. It gets to a disastrous start with a clearly visible boom mic in it's very first scene, which doesn't build confidence, but luckily the film ends up being a solid b-noir. There are some grim scenes and O'Brien does a good job as the lead, but the film doesn't really shock you or provide any big surprises and occasionally requires suspension of disbelief. Routine photography and score do not help either.

Edmond O'Brien gave me hope, and it has a strong opening, but the film is just too blunt in its execution. O'Brien's performance is one note from start to finish so, while he does some good things with it, it wears thin rather quickly. There's also little mystery or suspense, so not much to hold on to.